title: The mediator role of emotion regulation processes on infertility-related stress.
abstract: The objective of this study is to investigate gender differences regarding the mediator role of self-compassion and self-judgment on the effects of external shame, internal shame, dyadic adjustment, on infertility-related stress. One hundred and sixty-two women and 147 men with a primary infertility diagnosis completed the following set of self-report measures: Others as Shamer, Experience of Shame Scale, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Self-Compassion Scale, and Fertility Problem Inventory. Path analyses results revealed that in women self-compassion fully mediated the effect of internal shame on infertility-related stress and partially mediated the effect of dyadic adjustment on this variable, while external shame had only a direct effect. In men self-judgment fully mediated the effect of external and internal shame on infertility-related stress. Dyadic adjustment had only a direct effect on infertility-related stress. In conclusion, there is a distinct role of self-compassion and self-judgment on the relationship between shame and infertility-related stress in men and women. Such differences should be taken into account in psychological interventions with these patients. Future research is warranted to further support our results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Instituto Superior Miguel Torga, Largo da Cruz de Celas, nº1, 3000-132, Coimbra, Portugal, anagalhardo@ismt.pt.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galhardo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pinto-Gouveia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matos
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D004645:Empathy / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D007600:Judgment / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012752:Shame; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*